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Announcing the beta launch of the Internet Marketing Forum!

Over the past year, I've heard from countless marketing professionals, entrepreneurs, and small to medium sized business owners that finding the right information online is often a difficult and time consuming process.

If you're like me, when you're searching for answers, you want them fast. After doing some research I decided to take matters into my own hands - to find a solution for this ever increasing problem. The need for on demand solutions to the most difficult and challenging marketing questions.

The Internet Marketing Forum is now live!

Even though I've been on the Internet for more than a decade, I was never a big fan of message boards and the like. Quite honestly, until about a year ago, I had never even posted on a forum. But I quickly learned the value of becoming a forum participant from both the perspective of posting questions as well as contributing with answers and explanations on topics aligned with my experience.

After making a rather substantial investment to update MarketingScoop.com (my main marketing website) by adding a forum, I'm happy to announce the beta version went live earlier this week. I've already received great feedback from visitors and have already started work on a version 2.0.

Now It's Up To You!

The success of this forum, designed for those interested in marketing, is entirely up to you! I know that each of us needs a resource to connect with others in marketing and who have skill sets outside our own. This community can also help to validate Internet marketing concepts and ideas. I encourage everyone reading about this release to visit the Marketing Forum and register for free.. make a post, answer a question, and let the marketing community know you're out there.

Please give me your feedback! This forum is intended for us... marketing folk (with a bent towards online marketing) so let me know what you think. What would make it better? How can we improve it?

Special Bonus: For anyone visiting the site and registering (FREE) within the next 48 hours, I'll gladly email you a sample chapter from my top selling book, "SEO Made Simple: Strategies For Dominating The World's Largest Search Engine". Simply comment on this post with your email and feedback. I won't publish any comments that include email so your info is safe.

All the best and happy marketing...

M.Fleischner

Getting Started With Twitter In Less Than 30 Seconds...

Given the tremendous success that Twitter is enjoying these days and because I think it's a really neat tool for all of us to use, I wanted to give you some additional background on Twitter and explain why using it can be beneficial for you and your business.

What is Twitter and what can it be used for?

Twitter is a social media tool that allows its users to interact with one another by answering the question "what are you doing right now?" in less than a 140 characters which equates to about 20 words or so.

In a relatively short period of time Twitter has created a mass following. From Celebrities to business owners through out the world, Twitter allows the immediate interaction with an engaged audience be it large or small.

Some of Twitter's most highly followed entities are Ashton Kutcher and President Barrack Obama. The later has even announced the selection of his candidate for Vice President of the United States simultaneously via text messaging, email and Twitter.

Twitter is used nowadays by businesses from many walks of life. Many of them are twitting because it allows them the ability to inform and interact further with their current and prospective clients.

Who can join Twitter?

Anyone can join twitter and begin twitting in minutes, it is completely free. It's also very easy to do and doesn't take long to sign up for an account.

Why should I be following the MarketingBlog on Twitter?

Our tweets provide ongoing updates on how to improve your online marketing in a cost effective manner. When we find an interesting case study, technology or helpful anecdote that businesses and professionals can benefit from, we share it with our readers.

We tweet on a daily basis on topics that are vital for your marketing and its advancement. By connecting to @mfleischner you will be kept in the know on issues of online marketing, SEO, search marketing and a number of social media topics.

How do I get started using Twitter?
1. Go to http://Twitter.com.
2. Click the get started button.
3. Enter your name, a password and an email address.
4. Use the settings button to add a bio of yourself or add a photo.

How do I follow the Marketing Blog on Twitter?

Once you are logged in go to http://twitter.com/mfleischner and choose the follow button. It really is that simple!

What To Do With All This Content

Web sites, Blogs, Tweets, Facebook... they are all creating a significant amount of content. The question is, "What are we supposed to do with it?" The leading marketers know the value of original content - and they are using it every day to grow their business.

Here are a few ways that I've used content to build and audience, sell products, or develop a strong house list.

1. Webinars. When interacting with others via social media (Twitter, Blog Comments, etc.) I often get a sense of what people are talking about. This is great information when determining content for your next online seminarn. Do something that's 'on topic' and you will get a tremendous result.

2. Web site promotion. Are you promoting your site through search engines? One of the best ways to do so is through on-page optimization. Create content or widgets that will help your browsers take action on your site or keep coming back for more. Consider adding a Twitter widget to your site or button that allows individuals to 'retweet' your content.

3. Free downloads. One of the best uses of content that I've seen in the past 12 months is the 'free download'. If you have content related to a timely topic or simply an area that your niche has a particular interest in, create a free download. I recently visited a site to get a pdf of Using Twitter For Business.

4. Create sign ups. Can you dole your content out one post at a time (or one lesson at a time)? Have users sign up for your informational series. A simple web sign up form can be posted inviting individuals to join your list in exchange for a name and email list. Be sure to use an auto-responder for maximum benefit.

These are just a few tips you should consider if you are being bombarded with content. Of course, always remember to get permission to use someone else's content and be sure to provide proper attribution.

Don't be overwhelmed by all the content coming your way. If you need to, shut off the feeds and proactively look for content to support your business needs. As always, have a plan and get started. You'll be glad you did.

Lots To Talk About Today... A/B Split Testing

There's a lot going on in my marketing world today. My book, SEO Made Simple was just released in paperback (ISBN-13: 978-1442169203) and is available on Amazon for anyone interested in learning more about my search engine optimization methods. Okay, with that out of the way, I thought I'd reflect on a great Webinar I saw today.

The topic of the Webinar was how to test a landing page that ranks well for a given keyword or keyword phrase. I was drawn to the presentation because I've been spending quite a bit of time optimizing pages lately and wanted see what it was all about. The jist of the presentation was how to maintain the organic ranking of your web page while running an A/B split test (essentially testing 2 pages side-by-side).

Although the presentation was a bit technical, it did give me some insight into different ways of running an A/B test and maintaining your ranking for the given page. However, I like things EASY. When they started talking about canonical tagging, I tuned out. If you want to test two pages to try and increase conversion rates, here's what I recommend.

1. Register for Google Webmaster Tools.

2. Use Google Web site optimizer A/B testing.

3. Enter the URL's of the pages you want to test. WARNING: Only test one element at a time. The best way to do this is start with the existing page and change a single element like the placement of copy, the offer, the form, etc.

4. Run it until you stats are significant. There are tools on the web that can help you determine statistical significance.

5. If your new page converts a higher percentage of users (at a higher dollar value) than replace the existing page with the new one.

6. Rinse and repeat.

Using this method, you don't have to worry about a change in organic rankings because Google rotates the URLs for you and each one is unique. The key is to have a very targeted test, test page, and system for collecting the results. Google does it again... make my day!

Okay.. Today I'm Pretty Mad

I recently put Google Analytics tracking code across all of my websites and blogs. I found out some very interesting things that make me MAD!!!! I'm sure it comes as no surprise that most people get to The Marketing Blog through a Google search for marketing blog or Internet marketing blog. But did you know that our bounce rate is 80%?

For those of you who aren't using Google Analytics or have a background in analytics, let me tell you that anything over 50 pretty much sucks. The bounce rate is the percentage of people who hit your page and then leave.
The good news is that I publish all of my posts on a single page (up to 4) so you really don't have to click anywhere to get the content. I do this because I personally hate clicking around sites only to get distracted by shiny objects. So truth be told, I don't have much to be mad about because one way to read this statistic is that you guys/gals are finding what you need right there on the home page.

If you're looking for me to cover any specific topics that are marketing, internet marketing, seo, or search marketing related, let me know. I find the most productive aspect of this blog to be all of your feedback and comments. Thanks so much to my loyal readers and everyone reading this post - I'm certainly not mad at you... keep marketing!!!

Get Your Name Out There... Focus On The Media

Reporters are dying to quote entrepreneurs, small business owners and consultants just like you. The trouble is, they don't know you exist! If only you can get your hands on a great media contact list, then you can get your name and credentials in front of reporters. This way they will contact you when they are writing a story that would be perfect for you.

So how can you get your hands on a great media list that's filled with information about reporter's who want to quote you in their articles? Many companies sell names of reporters. Like everything else on the Internet, they vary by quality, features and services. Before you buy a media list, be sure to ask questions like the ones below.

10 Questions You Must Ask When Buying a Media List So You Get the Most Bang (Publicity) for Your Buck

1. When was the list updated? Reporters change jobs quite frequently. And many newspapers and magazines are laying off people. So you want to make sure the list is updated on a daily or weekly basis. Otherwise, you'll waste time, money and energy sending messages to people who don't work there!

2. What contact information is included in the list? You'll want a list that has name, title, email, phone and snail mail address. Yes, snail mail. This way you can send books or product samples. You'll want email for sending pitches, press releases and press kits. You'll want the phone number to pitch by phone. Of course, you will have much of this information on your website, but you'll want to have every means available to contact reporters in the format they most desire. Reporters can be very, very picky!

3. What information is included about the reporter? Most basic lists you'll find on the Internet will have contact info, but not much else. That's not enough to do target marketing. You want to know what topic (referred to as a "beat") the reporter is covering as well. Some of the best companies offer additional insights into the beat. For example, some lists will tell you if reporter A only covers politics with a conservative slant. That will help you when you fine-tune your pitch to her.

4. Do you get a list that is sorted by the topic the reporter covers? Some list companies will sell you the entire database of each publication. That's way too broad for most people and will lead to a lot of waste. In other words, it's not enough to know that Jill writes for Business Week. You want to find the person who covers your topic. Because if Jill doesn't, she'll just throw away your message.

5. Does the list contain a reporter's personal information? Most lists don't have information such as "like to bowl," or "wrote a screenplay" or "recovered from cancer." But if the list has this information, you might gain extra insights into the reporter and you might be able to build rapport faster.

6. Does the list have the publication's URL? Let's face it, not everyone knows everything about every publication. Nor is every publication available at your local newsstand or library. However, if you have their URL, you can easily read about the publication, get its view on the world and read articles by that reporter. It's a great time saver.

7. Does the list have web-only publications, like websites and blogs? These outlets are beginning to play a much bigger role in telling stories to you audience. Don't overlook the online-only opportunities.

8. Does the list show circulation figures? Since you don't have all the money in the world to send out books or product samples, or even to call everyone on a good list, you must decide who is important. That's where the circulation figures come in to play. Start with the biggest and work your way down. If you don't have the circulation figures, you don't know who the big boys and girls are.

9. Is the list searchable and sortable? Look for a list that is delivered in a digital form, like a spreadsheet or a word document. That way you can use sorting and searching tools to find the best reporters.

10. What rights do you have to the list? Some companies give you one-time use of the list. They even "seed" the list with fake names so they can tell if you use the list more than once! Look for a company that gives you unlimited use of the list so you can get the most value for your investment. If you follow these tips, you'll find a list of media contacts than can serve you well at a price you can afford.

Guest post by Dan Janal who is media relations expert, author and speaker who coaches entrepreneurs, doctors and wellness professionals just like you on how to get publicity and turn it into REAL profits. Now, Dan invites you to go to http://www.bullseyepublicity.com to get a free e-course on how to successfully pitch reporters with media lists. Go to http://www.bullseyepublicity.com